Worried & Overwhelmed

[OceanAngel]

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Hi everyone!
I am new to the group and have been silently standing by and reading your threads. The information has been great, thanks so much! My predicament lies in this; I have only been working on my veterinary hours and such for the past 9 months aside from a short stint in undergrad. I am planning on applying for 2007 and though I have been working tirelessly to get these hours I am afraid I will still not have enough to catch the admissions committees attention. I am also worried that 9 months may not show my dedication.

Here's my story. Cliche as it may sound, I have wanted to be a veterinarian forever as I am sure most of you can identify with. I was disuaded from pursuing my dream, however, after a few pre-health club meetings made me believe I would never make it in. I stumbled backwards into genetic research and loved it. I ended up applying to grad schools and was accepted to Duke Genetics Ph.D. program. However, after my first few months in the program I knew I had made the wrong choice. I couldn't stop thinking about vet school and all I would be giving up for something I was far less passionate about. Thus, I quit myprogram with a full ride plus living stipend to Duke and have now been working away to get vet hours.

By the time I apply I will have about 3,000 research hours in varying fields including sea turtle research, about 300 equine hours, 200-250 small animal hours, and 450 wildlife hours from a rehabiltation hospital (it is questionable whether this counts as vet hours cause I am not always with the vet). My GPA was 3.83 and my GRE scores are not stellar but I may retake them. 570verbal/650 quant 5.0 analytical. I am a member of Phi Beta Kappa and was a TA for three years in undergrad in various courses. I currently work as a neurogenetics research tech to pay the bills while I earn my hours.

Sorry such a long post. Any suggestions, comments or advice would be much appreciated! Congrats to all the new acceptances!!!

 

[chemokine]

Hi everyone!
I am new to the group and have been silently standing by and reading your threads. The information has been great, thanks so much! My predicament lies in this; I have only been working on my veterinary hours and such for the past 9 months aside from a short stint in undergrad. I am planning on applying for 2007 and though I have been working tirelessly to get these hours I am afraid I will still not have enough to catch the admissions committees attention. I am also worried that 9 months may not show my dedication.

Here's my story. Cliche as it may sound, I have wanted to be a veterinarian forever as I am sure most of you can identify with. I was disuaded from pursuing my dream, however, after a few pre-health club meetings made me believe I would never make it in. I stumbled backwards into genetic research and loved it. I ended up applying to grad schools and was accepted to Duke Genetics Ph.D. program. However, after my first few months in the program I knew I had made the wrong choice. I couldn't stop thinking about vet school and all I would be giving up for something I was far less passionate about. Thus, I quit myprogram with a full ride plus living stipend to Duke and have now been working away to get vet hours.

By the time I apply I will have about 3,000 research hours in varying fields including sea turtle research, about 300 equine hours, 200-250 small animal hours, and 450 wildlife hours from a rehabiltation hospital (it is questionable whether this counts as vet hours cause I am not always with the vet). My GPA was 3.83 and my GRE scores are not stellar but I may retake them. 570verbal/650 quant 5.0 analytical. I am a member of Phi Beta Kappa and was a TA for three years in undergrad in various courses. I currently work as a neurogenetics research tech to pay the bills while I earn my hours.

Sorry such a long post. Any suggestions, comments or advice would be much appreciated! Congrats to all the new acceptances!!!

It sounds to me like you really don't have anything to worry about. They will gladly accept your research hours. ANd even if the vet wasn't around the whole time you were technically under his supervision(right?). SO those hours count. For example I work at a small animal hospital now. I worked there for a long time. Not all of my time was spent with the vet directly. In fact I work mostly with the technicians. I don't think it really matters. Talk to the vet you work with if you are that worried about it. Ask them if they would be willing to write you a highly favorable letter of recommendation based on your experience working with them (don't be afraid to mention the highly favorable part). If they say no then you might need to get more time and experience with that vet or perhaps at another place that gives you more face time with the vet. THen when you are filling out the applications make sure you count it as vet experience.

There are three important things to get into vet school:
1.RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
2. EXCELLENT RECOMENDATIONS FROM A VET (OR VETS)
3.DECENT GRADES

You could probably also add to that list being a resident of a state with a vet school (so if you are from NC you are in really good shape I think).

I should also add that you probably should prepare for your interview with the assumption they will ask why you quit your PhD program. You might want to fit that in your personal statement somehow. But I would be prepared to deal with that. As long as you have a good answer it shouldn't be a problem

 

[OceanAngel]

Thanks so much for your reply. It makes me feel a bit better. I have just been killing myself trying to get as much "vet" time in as I could while still taking classes for prereqs. Basically my time is running out! Where will you be attending?

 

[chemokine]

Thanks so much for your reply. It makes me feel a bit better. I have just been killing myself trying to get as much "vet" time in as I could while still taking classes for prereqs. Basically my time is running out! Where will you be attending?

I will be going to Michigan State University. I had to apply twice. But if your determined you will get it. Especially with an academic record like yours. I didn't get in anywhere on my first try. This last time around I got into MSU, Western Univeristy, and I got put on the wait list at Iowa State University. My overall grades are pretty much average.

Apply to your state school and go to an application workshop if they offer one (or meet with the admissions director or counselor). Get the VMSAR book, and look for schools that accept the highest number of out of staters. Apply to as many as you can afford(Schools like Kansas, MSU , Iowa, Western, et. al. accept a good proportion of out of state students).

 

[OceanAngel]

I will be going to Michigan State University. I had to apply twice. But if your determined you will get it. Especially with an academic record like yours. I didn't get in anywhere on my first try. This last time around I got into MSU, Western Univeristy, and I got put on the wait list at Iowa State University. My overall grades are pretty much average.

Apply to your state school and go to an application workshop if they offer one (or meet with the admissions director or counselor). Get the VMSAR book, and look for schools that accept the highest number of out of staters. Apply to as many as you can afford(Schools like Kansas, MSU , Iowa, Western, et. al. accept a good proportion of out of state students).

Great advice, thanks! I will be applying to my state school, NC State. I am thinking that is my best chance. Good luck and congrats!!

 

[eaglemeag]

Great advice, thanks! I will be applying to my state school, NC State. I am thinking that is my best chance. Good luck and congrats!!

Make sure you apply to more than NCSU, though. I only applied to 3 schools because I thought for sure I'd be going to VA-Md (I'm a VA resident and am considered a "competitive candidate" by their own standards) and figured it'd be a waste to apply to much more than that. But I got a big fat rejection and had to wait to be pulled off a waitlist elsewhere. Long story short, don't put all your proverbial eggs in one basket with your state school 🙂

Also, to echo the above sentiments, you sound like a very good candidate! I don't think your PhD stint will hurt you at all, as long as you do have a clear answer why for your essays/interviews. Good luck, and try to relax 🙂

 

[HorseyVet]

Make sure you apply to more than NCSU, though. I only applied to 3 schools because I thought for sure I'd be going to VA-Md (I'm a VA resident and am considered a "competitive candidate" by their own standards) and figured it'd be a waste to apply to much more than that. But I got a big fat rejection and had to wait to be pulled off a waitlist elsewhere.

I think we should start a thread called "disasters with state schools"....there seems to be a running theme with a lot of people getting unexpectly rejected or waitlisted at their state school...

 

[eaglemeag]

I think we should start a thread called "disasters with state schools"....there seems to be a running theme with a lot of people getting unexpectly rejected or waitlisted at their state school...

Agreed! It's a sorry shame, it is... and while I firmly believe things happen for a reason, I think applicants-to-be definitely need to be warned about this strange phenomenon.

 

[HorseyVet]

Agreed! It's a sorry shame, it is... and while I firmly believe things happen for a reason, I think applicants-to-be definitely need to be warned about this strange phenomenon.

my less polite way of putting it is something like : mystateschoolisabastard.com


lol....it's really odd

I'm not the "thing don't happen for a reason" type... but I really love where I'm going and the only thing I can say positive about my state school is that it was cheaper....I'm almost glad (I am glad) I didn't have to make the choice b/w the school I loved and the school that was more affordable.

at any rate...if your goal is to be a vet ASAP, apply to as many schools as you can....

 

[OceanAngel]

Make sure you apply to more than NCSU, though. I only applied to 3 schools because I thought for sure I'd be going to VA-Md (I'm a VA resident and am considered a "competitive candidate" by their own standards) and figured it'd be a waste to apply to much more than that. But I got a big fat rejection and had to wait to be pulled off a waitlist elsewhere. Long story short, don't put all your proverbial eggs in one basket with your state school 🙂

I am definitely planning on applying to more than just my state school,NCSU. I was just saying that as a general statement. Thanks for the warning though! 🙂 It is does seem quite odd that so many people get rejected from their state schools and accepted at others.

Horsey, where are you attending?

 

[ReinaDeLuz]

my less polite way of putting it is something like : mystateschoolisabastard.com

hehe please tell me i'm not the only one who actually tried to put that into an address bar 🙂

 

[eaglemeag]

my less polite way of putting it is something like : mystateschoolisabastard.com

I'm glad you said it and not me, but I was thinking it too!

I'm almost glad (I am glad) I didn't have to make the choice b/w the school I loved and the school that was more affordable.

I'm definitely with you on that one. I'm almost certain I would've chosen Va-Md over Tufts because of both money and location ("home" is only live 45 minutes away) when I'd much rather go to Tufts with all other things being equal. And I've already been told by three different veterinarians (all from Virginia) who've told me I'll be way happier at Tufts than I would've been at Va-Md... so I'm happy with the way things have worked out. Thus my "things happen for a reason" comment!

 

[PAThbrd]

I'm almost glad (I am glad) I didn't have to make the choice b/w the school I loved and the school that was more affordable.

I did that but in my case the out of state school was cheaper... I was deciding between Penn and, actually, NCSU. NCSU was most likely going to let me change my residency after the first year and my tuition would have been ~$9k a year versus Penn's ~$29k per year and cost of living in Raleigh is about half of the cost of living in Philly. I was almost set on going to NCSU and decided pretty last minute that Penn, money aside, was the place I needed and wanted to be.

 

[chinangel1]

Hey, I know how you feel. I didn't decide I wanted to be a vet until a couple years before I applied. I didn't start my vet work until 6 months before I applied! I was in such a rush and all stressed out. Really though, don't worry too much. I got into 2 schools (starting at NCSU this fall) with like 600 hours. It was most important I think, at state, to have a variety- which you do. they do a checklist thing, like large, small, research, farm... and you don't have to have them all but the more you have the better. at the same time you HAVE to have experience in what you say you want to do. I also didnt try to compete with those ppl who have thousands of small or large animal experience. i tried to look unique and get exp in a specialty which could be reserach in your case. Really though I spent so much time fretting about it and it wasn't worth it. in the long run, if experience is the only thing holding you back, you can definitely get in next year.
sorry for the rambling msg, im tired! anyway, let me know if i can help and good luck!!